2009 Recruiting

[Uncle Drew]

The two players that we know for certain are high priorities are Kenny Boynton and Hollis Thompson. Duke LOVES both of these kids and will make every effort to bring them in. Duke feels the same way about Leslie McDonald but recognizes that he and Elliott Williams may be mutually exclusive.

Jon Hood a 6'6" perimeter player made an unofficial this past weekend. Combo forwards Reeves Nelson and Jamil Wilson are on the radar. Bigs? Murphy and Echenique. Duke is still evaluating players in this class and the list may well expand. And I may well have forgotten someone.

Despite what you may have read/heard elsewhere, Duke is not currently involved with either Lance Stephenson or Daniel Orton. Could change, of course.

As mentioned on another thread, this a very deep and talented class and Duke probably will look to bring in four players, maybe five if EW goes elsewhere.

Jim, for the love of Mary PLEASE tell me Duke is targeting players taller than 6'6". Where are the centers and power forwards? Where is the height? Where is the wide body in the lane for rebounding? Everyone sees weaknesses and holes in this years team and to be frank I don't see them being addressed next year or the year after that. I love tallented guards and small forwards as much as the next guy. But unless this Thompson kid has arms as long as telephone poles how is that going to help down low against BIG men?

[jimsumner]

Greg Echenique and Eric Murphy are the two big men generally acknowledged as Duke targets. Duke is evaluating others.

[DukeBlood]

This may be a little off topic, but recruiting none the less.

Does anyone know where we stand with John Riek?

and can anyone confirm that Elliot Williams is leaning towards Memphis or Tenn?

[kramerbr]

Greg Echenique and Eric Murphy are the two big men generally acknowledged as Duke targets. Duke is evaluating others.

From what I have read earlier on this board Echenique is the "raw" big body type and Murphy seems to lack the size to be a significant inside force. If the class of '09 is so much deeper then '08 why are these two guys are top post prospects?

[jimsumner]

Part of the evaluation process I mentioned is academic.

Echenique is 6'8", 240. Raw? Probably, but we're talking about a player with two years left in high school so it's not like he doesn't have time to refine his skills. He plays in a top program, btw.

Murphy is 6'9", 215 or so. Very skilled. Probably a 4 in most people's system but Duke has a history of using people with his size/skill set effectively as
5s. As with Echenique, keep in mind that we're talking about someone just beginning his junior season in high school, so he should fill out before he shows up for college in the fall of '09.

Part of recruiting is trying to project what will and will not happen to recruits down the road. As players committ earlier and earlier, that component becomes even more important.

[JasonEvans]

Does anyone know where we stand with John Riek?

and can anyone confirm that Elliot Williams is leaning towards Memphis or Tenn?

According to most sources we have zero interest in Riek at this point and he has only the smallest of interest in even attending college. He is in prep school this year and appears to be elligible for the NBA draft. That is where he wants to go and Duke has no interest in him if that is his attitude about college.

Yes, there is someone who can confirm how Elliot Williams is leaning. Elliot Williams can confirm it. I would imagine that Elliot's mom and dad and perhaps a close friend or two may also have an idea what he is thinking. The rest of us wait until November 2nd to find out. It is not much longer to wait. No big deal.

--Jason "folks, striking out in the 08 class is just not that big a deal for us" Evans

[DukeBlood]

According to most sources we have zero interest in Riek at this point and he has only the smallest of interest in even attending college. He is in prep school this year and appears to be elligible for the NBA draft. That is where he wants to go and Duke has no interest in him if that is his attitude about college.

Yes, there is someone who can confirm how Elliot Williams is leaning. Elliot Williams can confirm it. I would imagine that Elliot's mom and dad and perhaps a close friend or two may also have an idea what he is thinking. The rest of us wait until November 2nd to find out. It is not much longer to wait. No big deal.

--Jason "folks, striking out in the 08 class is just not that big a deal for us" Evans

Ahh, Alright. I have been gone for a few months now. So i havent been able to keep up on any of the recruiting guru gossip.

Thank you for the info on John Riek. Thats too bad, He would of been a great Center.

As for Elliot Williams.. Of Course he could confirm and a few others. But i meant on this bored(as you know). No need to be a smart... About it. I had no idea he was deciding in a few days. As i said, I have been gone. So im sorry i havent heard anything.

Once again, Thank you for the info.

[SilkyJ]

i think jason was trying to nip any possible rumor mongering before we get another patrick patterson on our hands...here's to friday...that denzel movie comes out too, pretty psyched for that...

[JasonEvans]

i think jason was trying to nip any possible rumor mongering before we get another patrick patterson on our hands...here's to friday...that denzel movie comes out too, pretty psyched for that...

Exactly, thanks Silky. My poor attempt at humor could have come off as being rude. I was just trying to say that there is no reason to listen to the rumors at this point because no one really knows and we are quite close to finding out the final result from the only person whose opinion matters. Frankly, recruiting rumors are pretty worthless, as we learned just days ago from Greg Monroe (rumor was it would be hometown LSU vs. childhood favorite Duke with no mention of Gtown).

--Jason "I swear, if one more person asks about Riek I am going to ban them for repetitive ranting " Evans

[watzone]

Duke is taking a look at several players in the class of 2009. This will give you a little insight into Deshawn Painter or Booker T. Washington High School. You will have to stomach a paragraph which is a pitch for the Blue Devil Nation Premium Newsletter.

2009 Prospect Deshawn Painter

[Patrick Yates]

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.c...asp?CID=740253 scroll down

This could really sting. Apparantly there is some expectation that one of Duke's top targets in 09, the above mentioned Hollis Thompson, is expected to committ any day now. To Georgetown. This is not definite, but Meyer (the above link) is the guy who predicted that G-Town was a surprise co-favorite with Duke for Mr. Monroe, so his stuff is pretty good. He is rarely wrong on his predicitions, but it is a rumor. Not a baseless rumor, but not written in stone either.

IF it is true, Ouch.

G-Town is really emerging as a serious rival to Duke. As a university, they have a similiar academic reputation to Duke. Their campus style is a direct opposite of Duke, but it has its charms. I spent a Summer interning in DC and lived in G-Town, and it was a nice scene.

Losing yet another of our top recruits, and currently Hollis might've been our primary target in 09, to the Hoyas hurts. Especially since Hollis didn't visit Durham. Now, I know he cannot sign for a year, and anything could happen, but K is way too nice to keep recruiting a kid who has already committed. I doubt that K has ever done this, and I doubt he ever will. So, Hollis MAY be off the board. Many on the board were projecting Hollis as a potential replacement for Hendo because Hollis is a very athletic wing in the GH mold. Not quite as athletic, but a little bigger at 6-7. He would have really fit in well at Duke.

Does anyone know what Duke's contingency plans at the wing would be? I know that we have at least 4 guys capable of playing the SG role, with Pocius and Williams being athletic guys who could play the SF role, but a true, athletic WF would not go amiss. Williams and Marty can handle it but neither is above 6-4, so they are a little undersized for the position (and the rail thin Williams too light to step in at the SF for any extended time).

What is the NEXT PLAY, should Hollis be Hoya bound?

Patrick Yates

[freedevil]

I want 18 big men in the 09 class to commit to Duke. 18 I say!

[JasonEvans]

If Hollis Thompson is ready to commit I cannot imagine it would be Duke. I am not even sure we have officially offered a scholarship yet, have we?

--Jason "he would be a HUGE get for GTown -- JT III is THE STUD recruiter right now" Evans

[Troublemaker]

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.c...asp?CID=740253 scroll down
Losing yet another of our top recruits, and currently Hollis might've been our primary target in 09, to the Hoyas hurts.

You can't lose what you don't have. As JE mentioned, it's doubtful Hollis even had a schollie offer from Duke. But you're right, if Hollis verbals to G'town, then Duke will stop recruiting him. That goes without saying.

I think Kenny Boynton is Duke's "primary target" if there is one. Within Duke's potential '09 recruiting class, Boynton will probably be the Singler to everyone else's Smith and King, if that makes sense. He's the "special" player that we're recruiting from this class.

[watzone]

They've already stopped. Hollis to Georgetown. It's in the books. Kenny Boynton is the main target.

[jimsumner]

I'm wondering if Painter could turn into a 3. Then there's Terrell Vinson, maybe Armwood, maybe Jon Hood. Or maybe Elliott Williams grows into a 6'5", 6'6" wing.

[mepanchin]

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.c...asp?CID=740253 scroll down

Losing yet another of our top recruits, and currently Hollis might've been our primary target in 09, to the Hoyas hurts.

Patrick Yates

My understanding is that this has been known for some time, or at least suspected. I was always under the impression that our two biggest targets were Boynton and Echenique.

[Scoring Point]

How about Lance Stephenson, a 6-5 wing from Brooklyn who is rated above Thompson by several analysts? I have seen Duke listed in the mix for him in some spots, but not in others.

[Duke79UNLV77]

Greg Echenique and Eric Murphy are the two big men generally acknowledged as Duke targets. Duke is evaluating others.

For what it's worth, Rivals has these two rated at #'s 45 and 34, respectively. Granted, they're have been a lot of collegiate All-Americans who were rated lower in high school, and we have a great track record for evaluating talent. That being said, I guess I'm surprised that we aren't targeting some top 10-15 bigs, given the impression I had after we missed on Monroe that we were teed up for a monster haul from the loaded class of 2009.

Of course, I know academics and character issues also factor into our selection process. I still prefer our way as opposed to Ol Roy's strategy of offering scholarships to practically every top 10 recruit in the country in years that he's recruiting hard.

[jimsumner]

I believe a number of evaluators have Echenique much higher than 45.